Mildura 100: Top 40 Shootout & more

Superman heads off TR challenge as locals lurk

The scene has been set for the Mildura 100 water skiing race, with superclass gun Superman taking top spot in the Bullfish Seafood Bar & Grill Top 40 Shootout at the final river classic of the 2018/19 Australian season.

In its 47th year, the Mildura 100 will tomorrow see the defending champions Superman (pictured top left with TR on the right) bid for both a back-to-back win and the elusive Dennis Rowbottom King of the Murray title – a crown they will only earn if they win and break their own race record of 30:41 in the process.

That task was made a little bit easier today as the crowd on the packed riverbank watched on as the Superman team of driver Darren McGuire, observer Brett Armstrong and skiers Daniel Cotton and Daniel Graziano powered through the short and sharp shootout in a time of 4 minutes 37.50 seconds.

This year’s record breaking Southern 80 winning team TR (4:43.47) finished less than two seconds adrift, with local favourites Pigs Arsenal third on 4:39.23.

Superman will look to defend their Mildura 100 title and take out the King of the Murray crown

Experienced Superman skier Daniel Graziano said his team was happy with the performance.

“It’s always a tough one this, it’s quite short, there’s really no where to rest and today with the wind added in there it made it a little bit tougher,” Graziano said.

“It was a good run. Being first away is always nice but it didn’t really matter much today with the wind and we were lucky enough to get away with it.”

Graziano said being the first boat away in the big race was a nice bonus.

“It makes your job that tiny bit easier. It’s not a massive thing but it’s big thing to have. Being first down the river is always nice,” he said.

“We will try and do the same as we did last year.”

Other notable results in the Top 40 Shootout saw Jack Coaldrake, skiing one-up behind Temper 2 and the combination of Rhett Davis and Mick Kelly, finish fourth quickest and Merc Force, with Chelsea Stevens (nee Blight) and Maddison Boyer in tow, finishing as the quickest women’s team in 13th overall on 5:15.85.

Esky Mojo (6:44.44) was fastest in the veteran women’s event, giving Greg, Bryson and Lesley Toole a second win for the day after they were part of the crew that won the women’s social earlier in the day with Mercury Racing. This time Lesley teamed with Rachael Howe after earlier partnering with Tayla Stent.

Later in the afternoon session:

ILLUSIONS Racing (5:32.61) was quickest in the veteran men’s event

Pressure (6:22.55) was first home of the senior social class

The Joker and Tyler Tannenberg took out the disabled event

Meltdown and Jett Avard claimed the under 10 boy’s, with Velocity Racing and Indiana Kennedy coming out on top in the corresponding girl’s race